The tone for the book is set in the first two verses. "AFter Ahab died, Moab broke away from Israel's rule. Ahaziah fell down through the wooden bars in his upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and told them, "Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from my injuries.
In those inaugural words you find death (Ahab died), rebellion (Moab broke away), calamity (Ahaziah fell) and superstition (go ask the god of Ekron).
What a beginning. It doesn't get any better. 2nd Kings is not a book for teh faint of heart. But it is a book for the serious desciple. Its message is embossed at the top of every page: "THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD."
Remember what Paul said about the wages of sin being death? This book proves his point. 25 chapters of people reaping the harvest of sin. Story after story of people learning firsthand the eternal truth: THE CONSEQUENCE OF PERSISTENT SIN IS PAIN. Pain, not just in your life but in the lives of those you love." Max Lucado
This is so sad. When I look at the consequences of sin in our lives it just grieves me so. God showed me some time ago that the reason that he hates sin is because it destroys, not because he just demands right living from us and we fail and he is mad. But because He hates to see us squandering His blessings and ending up sitting amongst the slops like the (pre)prodigal son. My heart is heavy as I ponder this this morning.
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6 comments:
There is no 1 Kings 23 - or am I blind?
Good call Denise altho I had it written down to read it too quite separate from the blog list. PC and I must have been livin' in the same la-la land! =)On to 2 Kings 1!
By the way Denise, it was great to see your comments back here yesterday.
Sorry, ladies. I realized when I went to read this morning that 1 Kings had ended, but I have had no internet connection since last night so couldn't fix it.
Thanks Jude. Not sure why it is so hard to be disciplined in reading the Bible. It makes such a huge difference in my life and yet it is the first thing to be set aside.
Denise, what you just shared here is soooo common. I want to challenge and encourage you with these words we just read in our family devotions yesterday,
"He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed against Him to try to touch Him." Mark 3:10
...The picture of teh people thronging here about Christ, pressing upon Him, each one eagerly struggling to touch Him, is very graphic and vivid. A touch was enough. All that touched Him were made whole. Life and health flowed into the diseased bodies where the trembling fingers came in contact with the Helaer, even with His garments. So a touch is enough always. Anyone who regularly touches Christ is healed. But we must be sure to touch Him. It is not enough to be in the crowd that gathers about Him. ONly those are healed whose faith truly brings them in contact with Him. It is not enough to be in the congregation that worships. One sitting or bowing next to us may receive a great blessing while receive none at all. It is because he reaches out his hand of faith and touches Christ, while we, as close to Christ as he is, do not put our hand out to touch Him, and therefore receive no blessing."
Reach, girlfriend. Keep reaching. I am blessed every time I see you touch the hem of His cloak.
Denise--You are not alone! I can relate. You have recognized the rewards of spending time "touching him" and I believe it will get easier...perhaps because we recognize our need for it more and more, perhaps He helps us reorganize our lives....and then of course there will always be the days of chaos when it just doesn't happen or it happens so much on the fly.... but then we return. :) It is good to have fellow pilgrims.
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